Bellied, round-bottomed vessel with an ovaloid body and a strongly overhanging rim. The thick-walled object has a deep, sculptural application. It was smoothed, slurried, primed and polished on both sides. The restored vessel has several breaks and flaws. The monochrome object has a red-brown base colour, which was applied irregularly. There is a deep, trapezoidal protome on the body, which also served as a handle. It has an attached anthropomorphic facial ornament. Symbolic meaning: Lothrop (1926: 254) understands the object form as an avimorphic figure. Social significance: the marginal fractures possibly indicate secondary use for a secondary burial (Lothrop 1926: 254; Haberland 1992: 113). According to Lothrop 1926: Zapatero ware. Cultural significance: red-brown ware has been produced in the Gran Nicoya region since the appearance of zoned bicoloured pottery (ca. 500a.C.). The production of red-brown, shoe-shaped vessels reached its technical peak on Ometepe during the El Gato phase (1200-1000d.C.) (Haberland 1992: 106, 111 f.). Many shoe-shaped jars of the Policromo Tardío (1520-1350d.C.) were found in burials and were associated with objects of the Luna Policromo type (Bransford 1881). Shoe-shaped vessels containing glass beads are known from the island of El Muerto and the Arquipiélago Solentiname (Lothrop 1926: 254). The object under discussion probably comes from the central highlands of Costa Rica. (Künne 2004)